


skating 101

by oh-boleyn (scrxamitout)



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Fluff - Sort of, Gen, I tagged Anna twice because I'm not sure if the tag is Anne or Anna?, Ice Skating, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24637921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrxamitout/pseuds/oh-boleyn
Summary: “Tell me.”“Can you teach me?”“Yes, you don’t have to worry, I’m here.”OrAnna teaches Cathy how not to fall in the ice.
Relationships: Anna of Cleves & Catherine Parr
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	skating 101

**Author's Note:**

> alright!! so, as always, Lexi helped me with this (and I can't thank her enough)!  
> This is a second part to my other one shot, but can still be read without the first one. Also, how cool is it that there's a fanart of the first one?? I died when I saw it ((c) calpicola on tumblr)  
> Lastly, this is for Riri, because I promised a second part
> 
> TW: minor injury, blood mention (it's almost nothing, just a bit, but just in case)

Ever since they’ve reincarnated, Anna was close to Katherine, which meant getting dragged by her to all the new activities in modern England when the rest of the queens weren’t so up for it. Some were more entertaining than others, like concerts or foreign restaurants, while other times it was calming, a soothing distraction from their agitated everyday life.

Anna would place ice skating into the second category, falling in love with it. The feeling of release after conquering the ability to stabilize herself the first time, the easy it was to focus on learning how to slow down without thinking about the outside world, how happy it was to win a race against Katherine and to even sometimes lose. It kept her mind occupied, quieter than it usually was. Having a second life was difficult, and long-lasting distractions were rare and much appreciated.

That was why she was now with Catherine Parr, trying to guess which size of ice skates the survivor should wear.

“I think these should be good.” Anna said, settling them in front of Catherine. “I have some special socks you can borrow; they have a silicon to protect your ankles. Also, you will need a helmet, and some protection.”

“You are not giving me any peace of mind, _Cleveris._ ” Cathy replied, a terrified look on her face.

“Don’t worry, munchkin, it’s just in case.” Anna promised. “Kat wears it all the time and she never even got a scratch.”

The sixth queen directed an apprehensive look to her best friend, while putting on the protection and skates. “I need to ask you a favour.”

“Tell me.”

“Can you teach me?”

“Yes, you don’t have to worry, I’m here.” She smiles. “I will teach you all my tricks and how not to fall.”

If Catherine was being honest, it did help a bit in her uneasy state knowing that Anna trusted herself to the point of helping was reassuring, but still wasn’t quite alright. Walking on the skates felt unnatural, and just barely putting a foot on the ice it was already slippery. She tensed her grip to the bar and tried to maintain herself from falling, almost not conquering the task.

“First, you have to loosen up a bit.” Anna instructed. “It will be worse if you don’t relax, you are not going to fall, I’m here to catch you, alright?”

“No.” Catherine said, her panicked structure not even attempting to do as instructed.

“ _Tonta_.” Cleves mocked.

“Hey! No need to be aggressive.” Parr frowned dramatically, clearly not offended.

“C’mon, I’ll help you. Try doing a movement like doing an ‘o’ but with your skates. It’s easier and safer than just slipping at first. It might be slower, but you will gain confidence later.”

Catherine tries to do as told, almost conquering for a moment before closing the circle, losing balance. Anna is quick to put a hand on her back, impeding the imminent stumble.

“That was a good first try,” Cleves insists, “but maybe try to flex your knees now? It will give you stability and make this easier. You got this.”

“I totally don’t.” Parr muffles.

“Don’t feel pressure to do this because I like it, it’s totally okay if you want to go, we can do other things.” The German explains.

“No! I want to do this, I’m just scared.”

Anna softens, quickly grabbing her friend’s hand and giving it a squeeze. With that, the survivor finds enough courage to try again, this time having in mind the divorcee’s advice. It doesn’t go perfectly, but it gets better. She tries a third time, and a fourth, growing self-assured with one hand in the bar, and the other hand on Anna’s.

“See? You have this under control.”

“It isn’t as bad…” Cathy admitted.

“Ready to let go of the bar?” The fourth queen asked.

“Do I have to? Can’t I enjoy the safeness of being unable to fall as a beginner?”

Anna directs an amused look her way, slowly leading Cathy from her so loved protection. At first the blue queen stumbles, but it doesn’t last long before the German puts a hand on her shoulder, helping. She lets the last wife lay her weight on her, at the same time that she gives slow steps with one skate. It leads them to a semi comfort.

“You need to learn how to fall.” Cleves indicates.

“What? Why?”

“Because it will help you. The skates have blades with two edges, basically, if you made a bad move, you might hurt yourself, so the easier way to _not_ get hurt, is learning how to fall.”

The other gives a suspicious look, not sure of how much and how little sense that makes. For a moment, fear fills her. Never in her life she was happy to be clumsy, in fact, she never was. Always being a lady meant maintaining her protocol, walking in line with a straight back.

(Maybe, so much time on her laptop was not helping, and maybe, this time around she was having some back problems and something called _scoliosis_ , but that was for another day, she noted in the back of her mind.)

“How should I do this?”

“That’s my girl!” she grins. “Just start loosening your grasp, yes, I know you haven’t realized but you are strongly grasping my hand,” Parr feels embarrassed for a moment, but lets her friend continue, “and then start bending your knees, once you are near the ice, let yourself fall. Hands up, both skates to one side, try to take them away from you. The further away those are, the less likely you will get hurt.”

Parr ends up falling, both of her legs to the side while she holds herself steady in a sitting position. Her hand feels numb at the touch with the cold ice. Anna is quick to do the same, mirroring her. When she is sure that Catherine is hearing her, she explains.

First step is not moving your legs a lot, the easier way to get hurt is with the blade. Secondly, try to get both skates together, giving a bit of an impulse in a way that both knees end up in contact with the ice — after all, they are wearing protection pads for a reason. Third is moving one foot to the ice, maintaining one knee still, like a marriage proposal pose. Lastly, putting her hands on her knees she stands up with a little impulse.

Catherine stumbles, but quickly recuperates a comfortable stability, to what Anna smiles brightly.

“Want to try on your own?”

For a moment she is not sure, the easiness of having help being soothing, but knows it is not the idea. She wants Anna to have a good time, and fussing over her is probably not the definition of that. Nodding, she takes a step, and then another, and she is going slow but doing it after all, while Anne cheers next to her.

She goes building trust, trying to go fast and hitting the walls. Anna for moments does her own things, practicing spins and threes. The survivor is happy to have agreed, because watching her best friend being so happy was worth the initial nerves. Maybe she even enjoys the skating more than what she wants to show.

Catherine is happy to see Anna being free. The red queen usually worries too much about doing the right thing, about helping and being supportive of her friends. Watching her be more careless, just enjoying herself and having a normal moment brings her unspeakable joy.

“Hey! _Cleveris_!” She shoots at her friend, who quickly comes. “Teach me how to go faster?”

“I’m not sure I want to get my ass beat by you in a race, but of course.” The German smiles. “It’s easy, you put your skates with one heel in the middle, using the other skate as a wall, so then you take impulse. Once you’re going, you settle the other skate, and so on. It's like making Vs.”

Anna proceeds to show her how, doing each movement slowly and elegantly in a way that is incredible to Cathy how much she trusts in her abilities to not fall in the ice at any given moment. The last queen takes a deep breath and decides to try, gaining confidence each time she gives a step. Before she can notice it starts being faster, her skies impacting with the ice and sliding without a problem.

The next half an hour is spent in bliss. Catherine trusting herself more than before, going around with Anna and trying to have races, even winning one. It is nice to know that Cleves would let her win, knowing that it will make her feel better.

Before they can notice, Katherine and Anne are there to pick them up, so the duo decide to have one last race before getting off the ice.

Unluckily for Parr, when hitting the ice the toe pick arrives first, nailing her to the ice, provoking her to tumble. She can feel half of her body cold because of the touch with the surface, and seeing Anna looking for her before realizing what happened. She quickly tries to remember how to stand up, but accidentally goes with her finger through the edge, causing a drop of blood to fall.

“ _Hermosa, estás bien?_ ” Anna questions.

It comes sweet, without a hint of criticism, which makes Cathy feel better about failing. Still there’s a hurt on her chest namely shame for dropping in such an undignified way, which aggravates knowing that Anne and Kat were watching too.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She finishes to stand up. “The last one to get out of the rink loses.”

Before she can finish the call, she is already on her way to get out, passing Anna for a few steps, arriving first.

“That’s not fair!” The German calls, but the smug face on Catherine’s look doesn’t disappear.

“It was! I am injured!”

“Talking about being injured,” Boleyn starts, looking through her backpack, “you will need a band-aid. I think I have one here…”

“I have some, Kat you know the pocket, right?”

The younger nods, abiding the order.

“How was it then Cathy?” Anne asks, warmly.

“It was good, I really had a good time.” She says to the fourth queen. “We should do it again.”

Anna opens her eyes in surprise, “really? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just that-“

Katherine quickly interrupts, band aids in hand: “Which finger was it?”

“Here, give me, you know how to take her skates off, right?” Boleyn orders.

They quickly change into normal footwear, Cathy with Kat’s help, while Anne makes sure that the finger is clean before settling the bandage.

The rest of the day is spent without many occurrences, with Aragon and Jane waiting for them at their favourite coffee shop. The fall is brushed off, none of them making any comment about it, but the divorcee makes sure to tell all the queens how natural Cathy can be in the ice, to what Aragon comments that she would love to try sometime, and Boleyn insists that she would if it wasn’t that rollerskates seemed more interesting and could be used in almost any space.

Jane turns red at the idea of having to tolerate Anne roller skating through the house and theatre.

* * *

Catherine knocks on Anna’s door twice before hearing a “Come in!”

“I just wanted to give your socks back.” She explains.

“You could’ve given me those tomorrow, there’s no problem.” Cleves insists. “But now that you are here, I would love to ask you one thing, do you really want to go again? To the ice rink, I mean.”

“Yes, I would love to. Why?”

“It’s just… I thought you didn’t really enjoy it. You don’t have to do it because I like it.”

“Don’t be silly, _Cleveris_.” She mocks. “I liked it, and I like to spend time with you. You are a good teacher, and friend.”

“You really think so?” Anna asks.

“Of course, you really helped me even though I was panicking and made me have a great moment, you let me win when knowing I would get all arrogant about it. And you didn’t laugh when I fell even if I probably looked totally ridiculous. You didn’t even laugh at my hair with the helmet!”

“Not all people can look as good in a helmet as I do.” Cleves jokes. “I’m really glad you had a good time, because I did too.”

“Then, are you up to keep helping me?” Cathy asks.

“Of course!”

Anna's smile beams into a full grin, happiness clear on her face.

“But not tomorrow, tomorrow I’m the teacher. I have been waiting a lot to teach you idioms in Spanish and I will not wait any longer.”

“Alright, fair.”

They embrace in a quick hug, but before Catherine is about to leave, she stares at Anna for a moment.

“ _Te quiero, Anna._ ”

_“Yo también te quiero, Cathy.”_

**Author's Note:**

> comment and kudos are really appreciated, come to say hi on my tumblr (lessix) or my discord (lemxnpills#1196)


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